


when 'no's turn to 'maybe's

by princessguard



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Soulmate AU, Sylvain Jose Gautier Being An Idiot, background dimilix, ehh g-rated but there's like three swear words, i cant believe thats a tag, this is mostly just sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:54:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25205059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessguard/pseuds/princessguard
Summary: Sylvain doesn’t believe in soulmates.It’s plain and simple to him, really. Love doesn’t existー it’s all just a farce. Soulmates? What bullshit. Only idiots believe in sappy fairytales like that. Maybe once upon a time he had bought into those lies, hell, he even tried looking for his soulmate once, ecstatic at the thought thathey, maybe this person is the one.How stupid. How foolish of him. The world isn’t that kind. Because in a place like Fódlan, love does not exist.
Relationships: Sylvain Jose Gautier & Mercedes von Martritz, Sylvain Jose Gautier/Mercedes von Martritz
Comments: 8
Kudos: 44





	when 'no's turn to 'maybe's

**Author's Note:**

> *slides in and drops this* hello fire emblem three houses nation
> 
> sylvcedes is one of my favourite comfort ships so of course i had to write a soulmate au because i'm a sucker for those. i just love how understanding mercedes is and how they can both be open and honest with each other and lean on each other.. sylvain's characterization was honestly quite a challenge for me to write so i hope i did my best in portraying him.
> 
> thank you for reading and any support would be greatly appreciated! ♡

Sylvain doesn’t believe in soulmates.

It’s plain and simple to him, really. Love doesn’t existー it’s all just a farce. Soulmates? What bullshit. Only idiots believe in sappy fairytales like that.

Since young, he’s constantly told the same thingー when you touch your soulmate for the first time, you just know they’re the one. No one can really explain what it’s like, they say. You’ll just know when it happens to you.

Maybe once upon a time he had bought into those lies, hell, he even tried looking for his soulmate once, ecstatic at the thought that _hey, maybe this person is the one._

How stupid. How foolish of him. The world isn’t that kind.

Because in a place like Fódlan, love does not exist.

In Fódlan, it works like this: children with Crests are blessed. Wealth, knowledge, power, good looksー they have it all. They get showered with praises, doted on like they’re the most valuable piece of treasure. And those without? Those without are scorned, frowned upon, as if the mere fact that they exist is a waste of space. It’s like a sick joke to Sylvainー why did the Goddess go out of Her way to assign everyone a soulmate, only to introduce a thing like Crests? Surely, She did not think the two can coexist?

The Goddess should have expected thisー people in Fódlan never marry for love. The thought of having a soulmate isn’t something people swoon at, rather, it is seen as more of an annoyance. A source of worry. _What if my child’s soulmate is some Crestless commoner_ , or, in contrast, _what if my soulmate won’t accept me because I don’t bear a Crest_?

Too many times Sylvain has seen people marry someone for the sake of Crests, and not for love. Too many times Sylvain has seen soulmates torn apart from one another because of the system that values Crests above all else.

Perhaps Sylvain should be thankful. The Goddess has blessed him with a Crest, unlike his brother Mikael, who isn’t that fortunate. He doesn’t have to worry about soulmates, because people will desire him regardless.

But that’s just it, isn’t it?

Because while Sylvain Jose Gautier was busy entertaining childish flights of fancy about finding his soulmate, women take this as their cue to convince them that he is their soulmateー not because they genuinely believe they are, but because he, you guessed it, has a _Crest_.

It’s laughable. Sickening. And that’s when Sylvain realizes that love isn’t real. That soulmates are put in place to make it hurt more.

And if Sylvain has a little fun with it, who cares? It doesn’t matter because he can do no wrong. Women will throw themselves at him regardless because he’s desirable all the same.

It’s a routine to Sylvain by now: meet someone new, watch them embarrass themselves as they fawn over him and trip all over themselves trying to convince him that they’re the one. He entertains the idea, pretends that he genuinely believes they are soulmates, and when he gets bored of them, he dumps them and moves on.

His friends don’t approve, of course. _You’re disgusting_ , Felix tells him, annoyance high on his features. Or, _you shouldn’t play with their feelings_ , his Highness always says, a concerned frown etched on his face as Sylvain’s list of relationships grows.

What would they know? Dimitri and Felix are differentー they’ve known that they are each other’s soulmates since they were children. The king-to-be and his shield, childhood sweethearts, and both Crest bearers. A perfect match.

So, Sylvain waves off their complaints with a laugh. Pretends he’s not jealous that they have it easy because he isn’t. He _isn’t_.

In all honesty, it’s getting harder for Sylvain to even remember their names. He always goes by variations of pet names, things like _honey_ , or _sweetheart_ , just so he won’t have to pretend he remembers or that he actually cares enough to. It’s an easy distraction. Something simple.

Until it isn’t. Mercedes von Martritzー that was her name.

He first sees her when they arrive at Garreg Mach Monastery.

Long, blonde tresses cascade over her shoulder, tied in place by a simple ribbon. He can see soft lavender eyes hidden behind hooded eyelids, framed by long, curly, eyelashes and rosy pink lips that remind him of a rosebud. There, amongst the flowers blooming in the courtyard garden, the petite woman looks like exactly like she belongsー like she’s part of the magic. A fairy, or some other ethereal being. She is, for lack of a better word, beautiful.

Sylvain has never been one to wax poetic, especially about another person who is just another potential breakup, but even he is no stranger to her beauty.

It’s odd. Sylvain is never nervous about approaching other people, particularly women, but for once he finds himself having to pause, inhaling for a moment as if to prepare himself. She’s lost, as far as he can tell, if her fidgeting is any indication. It is sort of endearing, the way the beautiful stranger is frowning at her surroundings, a hand tucking wayward strands of hair behind her ear. So, as any gentleman would, he offers to help her.

“Do you happen to be lost?” he starts, suave as always, watching as she turns to look his way. Her face brightens, and he can see the relief immediately flooding her face.

“Oh…! Thank goodness you’re here. As a matter of fact, I am. I was trying to get to the Blue Lions classroom, you see…” she explains, her voice gentle. “But, well, I got lost, as you can clearly tell,” she laughs shyly and the soft sound echoes, tinkling like a melody.

Weird. This is weird. Sylvain’s heart should not have done a flip at that. Women laugh when they’re around him all the time. She’s nothing special.

“Blue Lions, huh? What a coincidence, I’m part of the class as well. Looks like we’re going to be well acquainted. Lucky me for winding up with such a beauty like you for a classmate,” he winks, all smooth and charming. Perfect.

Except the woman doesn’t even flush or giggle. She just smiles kindly, as if Sylvain did not just ooze charm and captivate her with his compliments.

“How kind of you. I wasn’t expecting to meet a classmate right away. I’m Mercedes von Martritz. It’s nice to meet you,” she introduces herself, all smiles, while Sylvain is having an internal crisis at how... odd this woman is. Odd, but beautiful.

Huh. He’s already called her that in his mind. Like, twice.

He tries not to dwell on it too much, brushing the thought away. He calls women beautiful all the time, after all. “Sylvain Jose Gautier. The pleasure is all mine,” he smiles, all bright and sunny depositions. “Let me lead the way, yeah?”

Mercedes agrees readily and they walk, exchanging small talk as they go. She tells him more about herself, including her age. To his surprise, she’s much older than himー in her early twenties, to be exact. That explains the maturity and the gentle demeanor she carries, he guesses.

When they reach the classroom, they’re the last to arrive. Felix frowns the moment he spots Sylvain, his eyes lingering on Mercedes who is standing beside him. “Of course you’re late because you were chatting up another woman. _Already_ ,” he scoffs. Beside him, Dimitri looks defeated, already used to their constant bickering. “Felixー”

“Oh, it’s nothing like that! Sylvain was kind enough to help me out because I got lost,” Mercedes cuts in smoothly, saving Sylvain from being graced with another earful of snide comments from Felix. Who is supposed to be his best friend, mind you.

“Yeah, because I’m a nice person. How can I just stand by idly when there is a lady who requires my help?” Sylvain adds on, beaming.

Felix raises an eyebrow, but thankfully doesn’t comment as Dimitri ushers him away with an apology to Sylvain and Mercedes, muttering, _let us not start a scene_ , to which Felix replies, _I know, Boar_.

Sylvain feels that familiar twist of jealousy in his stomach again for a split second, until he catches himself and swallows, forcing the feeling down. No, no, he’s not envious of something as stupid as soulmates. Definitely not.

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Mercedes giving him a searching look. It’s slightly unnerving, how she seems to look at him like she understands.

It couldn’t be. They just met. Plus, no one ever would.

Sylvain immediately settles into another easy, charming smile, trying to resolve the awkward tension in the air. “Sorry about that. They’re my friends. Felix is kind of prickly, but he’s a good guy deep down.” All at once, Mercedes looks away, nodding understandingly. “I’m sure. It must be nice to be able to be together.”

She doesn’t speak about his odd behavior, and he doesn’t offer to.

♡

As expected, word of Sylvain, now deemed the ‘local heartthrob’, spreads easily in the monastery. It’s like his own personal heavenー in the monastery, there is no shortage of women flocking over him for his attention. If he’s bored, they are more than happy to spend time with him, tittering over whatever he says. If he’s having a bad day, he can always count on them to pay their undivided attention to him, stroking his ego with nothing but compliments. He even has a ‘fan club’, as far as he has heard. It’s flattering. Or that’s what he tells other people while fighting down the urge to look displeased. He has an image to maintain, after all.

As his reputation in the monastery continues to grow, Sylvain decides to be a little more ambitious. He looks for particular girls that have piqued his interest and challenges himself to win their hearts. It sounds difficultー except, well, it’s not much of a challenge to him. Sylvain has spent his time with so many women that he knows exactly what they want to hear. He even has his own flowery language that he employs to make them starry-eyed and weak in the knees. By the end of the first year, Sylvain has dated so many girls that he starts going out to town to pick up more.

It’s almost pitiable, how despite the amount of hearts he has broken, women still continue to vie for his attentionー because it’s as simple as that. They are _that_ desperate to secure their own future.

There is one person he can’t quite figure out, though. Mercedes.

He admits, he has thought about what dating her would be like multiple times. But for some reason when he attempts to make a move, it feels… wrong. She is far too kind for a good-for-nothing like him. Mercedes, who is the only one patient enough to teach Dimitri how to sew (given his ridiculously monstrous strength that caused everyone else to give up on him), who bakes sweets for the other Blue Lions whenever she sees them in distress, who stays up late with Annette when she’s studying, keeping her company, who is somehow able to melt even Felix’s icy demeanor and make him smile. He can’t imagine breaking her heart. That doesn’t mean he can’t be interested in her, however.

Here’s the thingー he wants to spend more time with her. But he’s not quite sure how. And here’s the other issue; he doesn’t like the way he feels when he’s around her.

It started out small. Just those cliché butterflies in his stomach when she smiles, little flips of his heart when she does something cute like laugh and get batter on her face. At first, Sylvain had waved it off as just her being beautiful. And then he realizes that everyone else does not stutter the way he does when he talks to her. Neither do they look at her longingly in class (which, admittedly, he has done a few times, before catching himself and asking, _what the Hell is wrong with me?_ ). Sothis, he’s dated plenty of women and yet he’s still acting like a wide-eyed schoolboy experiencing his first puppy love.

With Mercedes, it’s not as easy as relying on his prior knowledge with other women. In contrast to the girls he usually spends time with, he feels like has to work to impress her, to make her like him. He’s not the type to fumble with his wordsー he’s supposed to be suave and charming, for Goddess’ sake, but he just can’t seem to be when he’s constantly distracted by her soft smiles, the laughs she allows slip sometimes.

Sylvain has never been in love before. Maybe a silly crush here or there, but that is all there is to it. And he’s convinced what he feels for Mercedes is just that. Another stupid crush. An infatuation that will go away eventually. Later, he will ponder on _why exactly_ he has seemed to have developed feelings for her but for now, he has to rid himself of this feeling. If he sees that she’s just like everyone else, perhaps the feelings will go away.

That’s what he tells himself to justify why he’s actively seeking her out to spend time with him, anyway.

Today, she’s sitting in the courtyard alone, leafing through a book in quiet concentration. Annette isn’t by her side, to his surprise. Perfect. The lesser people around to watch him potentially embarrass himself, the better.

“If it isn’t Mercedes. You look beautiful as always,” he compliments, flashing a smile her way as he slides into the space beside her. Said woman glances up from her book to look at him, lavender eyes crinkling ever so slightly as she smiles. Was she… actually happy to see him?

 _Stop that_ , Sylvain tells himself. _You should be used to this_.

“Sylvain. What a pleasure. We haven’t talked in a while,” she says, and Sylvain feels a flash of guilt at that. It’s true, he has been avoiding her. He wonders if she has noticed.

“Sorry, sorry! You know how it is. Always busy with the ladies.”

Mercedes tilts her head, humming thoughtfully. “Your fan club has been keeping you busy, I presume?” Sylvain groans at that. “You’ve heard about that too. It’s embarrassing,” he sighs, draping one arm over the bench’s armrest. “Let’s not talk about that.”

“Alright,” she complies, a teasing smile on her face as she turns back to the contents of her book. “So, why did you pick me to spend time with today? I’m sure there are plenty of women who would like to be with you now.”

Sylvain pouts. “You don’t want me to be here then?”

Mercedes laughs at that. “It’s not that. I’m just sure there are better women out there for you to be with.”

Sylvain feels like there’s some hidden meaning in her words, despite the same, gentle tone she’s using. He exhales, raking a hand through his hair nervously. “That’s, uh, not true. I think you’re special.” Usually, words like that (well, with a smoother delivery than what Sylvain had stuttered out) would be enough to make anyone turn red. He has learned that women _love_ when you make them feel like they’re special. Mercedes just raises an eyebrow in speculation.

“How many girls have you said that to?” she says calmly, eyes never straying from the page she’s on.

“That’s notー Iー I mean it with you,” he starts. Oh, Goddess, he should have known that talking to Mercedes wouldn’t be easy. Saying that ‘she’s not like other girls’ would be so awfully cliché but it’s true. And when did his palms start sweating so much?

“Is that so,” she states plainly. “Well Sylvain, you see, I’m sort of busy…”

“W-wait!” he calls out as she makes a move to stand. She, blessedly, doesn’t straight up walk away, and waits for him to continue instead.

 _Goddess, please don’t let me mess this up_ , he whispers to himself. “I, uh… Look. I know I don’t have the best reputation. I’m not trying to play around with you or anything, I swearー I just want to get to know you better, that’s all.”

Mercedes is quiet for a moment, listening to what he has to say. Then she sighs, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she speaks. “Well, if you insist, we can do that. I must warn you, I’m not that interesting, however.”

 _Are you kidding me? You could be talking about the grass on the ground and I think it would be that most interesting thing I’ve ever heard,_ he doesn’t say. “Don’t worry about that,” he grins brightly instead. “So, Mercedes, let’s start here. What do you like to do?”

“Praying,” she answers instantly, a serene look on her face. “Oh, and lately, I have been taking an interest in cooking other food besides baking, although I’m not very good at that…”

Sylvain cocks his head at that. “Is that so? Well, you know what, Mercie, what about this? I can help you with taste testing. I’m not really one for cooking, but a second opinion is always better, right?”

It’s a simple suggestionー he can’t imagine himself praying, so cooking was the next thing. But for some reason, his offer causes her lips to quirk up into a joyous smile, her face lighting up in a way he’s never seen before. It’s… breathtaking.

He wants to see more of those smiles.

“Really? I’ve been meaning to ask someone for help, but I didn’t want to bother anyone…”

“Truly. We can start whenever you want.”

“Okay! Then it’s a deal!” Mercedes claps her hands together in excitement, and the action is so cute that Sylvain swears he can feel his face heat up.

It’s all for the sake of getting over her. It’s _all_ for the sake of getting over her, he tells himself.

♡

Mercedes _really_ wasn’t exaggerating when she said she wasn’t very talented in the cooking department.

When she first told him that, Sylvain had thought that she was merely being modest, only to find that that’s not the case. She really _does_ struggle when it comes down to the seasoning. While she seems to know what she’s doing in general, following the recipes down to every single detail, when it comes to the actual taste, Mercedes is just _utterly lost_. Meat dishes, stew, stir-fry, soupー no matter what dish she attempts, the taste always falls flat with something lacking.

It’s been a little over two weeks into their arrangement, and Mercedes, while absolutely positive at first, has seemed to have lost some of that optimism.

“I’m sorry, Sylvain. You have to keep taste testing for me and every time it’s always so bland…” she sighs dejectedly while poking at the remains of a half-eaten meat pieー evidence of her latest attempt at cooking. Sylvain chuckles, shaking his head. “Hey, learning is an experience, isn’t it? I don’t expect you to be good at it right away. And you don’t have to apologize, really. I’m just tasting it for you. You’re the one putting in all this work. Cheer up.”

There’s a pause, and then Mercedes sets the fork down carefully, sighing. “You’re right. I apologize. I didn’t mean to mope when you’re already putting up with me.”

Sylvain groans, leaning forward from where he’s seated on a chair to rest his elbow on the kitchen countertop. “This again? I’m not putting up with you, I enjoy your company.”

That gets Mercedes to lift her head to look at him, smiling slightly. “One of your lines again?”

“No. This is genuine.”

They’re both looking at each other. A beat passesー Sylvain is staring into those pretty eyes again, and then both of them are looking away when they realize just how close in proximity their faces were. Way to make that awkward, Sylvain.

It’s strange. The more time he spends with Mercedes, the more he’s grown to just… be comfortable around her. He still gets those stupid rapid heartbeats every now and then, but he finds it’s much easier to be around her with no pretenses. No flowery language, no charming smiles, no trying to impress her. Just himself.

It probably all started when Mercedes had let slip about her childhood one day late into the night after the two had been exhausted cleaning up the kitchen. She had told him about growing up and her brother Emile. How her mother had a soulmateー her biological father, who passed away before she was even born. How her mother’s life had never been the same after. How the Bartels took advantage of her mother’s moment of weakness and used her. How they were forced to leave and start a new life.

She had been so beautiful that night, standing under the gentle glow of the moonlight, her expression solemn but strong as she bared her soul to him.

“ _I won’t let anyone else tell me how to live my life. I won’t let Crests control me, ever._ ”

That quiet but fierce determination, Mercedes’ tone strong yet gentleー Sylvain never wanted to kiss someone more in his life than at that moment.

Except he didn’t. So, Mercedes hated Crests too. So what? His goal was to get over her, not fall for her further. It didn’t change anything.

“We should clean up,” Mercedes finally speaks up, chair scraping against the ground as she stands, picking up the plate with her. “I guess I’ll just have to keep trying.”

Sylvain smiles, spotting her downtrodden expression. “Hey, don’t look so down. No matter however long it takes you, I’ll be here as your personal taste tester.” Mercedes giggles at that, setting the plate down in the sink as she replies teasingly, “My knight in shining armor.”

“What about we have some sweets? To make up for that awful food.” Mercedes asks. “I think I still have some leftovers from the ones I made the other day…”

♡

When he finally touches her for the first time, it’s on instinct. A complete accident.

Currently, the Blue Lions are out on another one of those monthly missions the Church always assigns them. Today, it’s bandits again. More have been appearing lately, so naturally, they have been tasked to deal with the problem. It bothers Sylvain how the Church never seems to find anything wrong with sending children out to possibly die, but then again, who is he to question anything?

The fight is over for the day, and Mercedes is currently focused on patching up the injured before they can leave. While the rest of the Blue Lions have little to no knowledge in Faith magic, Mercedes is arguably the best healer among them, with her skill and proficiency in Faith far exceeding the othersー even more so than their own Professor.

A healer. It suits Mercedes, Sylvain thinks.

She’s currently working on a few cuts Ashe had gotten in a tangle with another bandit. They’re nothing serious, but there is quite a number of them. Ashe winces, mumbling out sheepish apologies every now and then as the rest of the Blue Lions patiently wait for her to be done.

“It’s nothing to worry about, Ashe,” Dimitri waves off all his apologies with a blinding smile. Sheesh. How is it that every time Dimitri smiles, he looks like the equivalent of Prince Charming?

“Stillー” Ashe starts, only for all of them to be started by a terrifyingly loud scream.

 _ **“This is for our leader, you damned brats!”**_ A bandit crashes out from within the forest, brandishing an axe _right behind_ Mercedes.

Sylvain’s eyes widen and his instincts kick in immediately. He reaches her the moment Dimitri swiftly steps in, parrying the bandit’s axe with his own lance, while Sylvain pulls Mercedes towards him in his embrace, out of harm’s way.

And then.

Time seems to stop.

Sylvain has never understood what all those stories meant when they say, ‘you’ll just know it’s them’ー not until now.

It happens before he knows what is happening. A myriad of colors seems to burst behind her and all at once he feels like he’s falling. And, touching herー it’s like he’s been shocked, but it feels _right_. Like he was meant to do this. That’s when he knows.

It’s her. _She_ is his soulmate.

Before he can ask her if she’s okay, he’s already pushing her away instantly, breathing heavily. He has entertained the idea of having Mercedes as a soulmate. Multiple times. But now that he knows for sure, he…

They’re both speechless. He knows Mercedes felt it too, with the way she’s staring at him, wide-eyed, stunned. Their classmates are watching them, and faintly, Sylvain can hear the drowned out sounds of the bandit’s muffled cries as Dimitri puts him down, and Annette crying out, “ _Mercie? Are you okay_?”

“I…” Sylvain’s mouth feels heavy, like it’s full of sandpaper. He’s not supposed to meet his soulmate. Mercedes _isn’t_ supposed to be his soulmate.

Mercedes breaks out of her stupor first, taking a tentative step towards him. “Sylvain…?”

Sylvain does what he does best. He bolts.

♡

“You’re an asshole,” Felix tells him later, in the safety of his own dorm room. Sylvain grunts in reply, a pillow over his face as he remains unmoving on his bed.

“That’s all you have to say? We had to _track you down_ because you ran when there could have been more bandits like that guy.” Felix jabs an accusing finger at him. “And left Mercedes behind like that. Who happens to be _your soulmate_ , by the way.”

“Not my soulmate,” he mumbles from under the pillow. Felix practically hisses, wrenching the pillow away from Sylvain. “You’re still saying that? She’s your soulmate. Whether you want to admit it or not. So you should man up and _talk. To. Her_.”

Sylvain sits up, crossing his arms defiantly as he seethes out like the words are poison dripping from his tongue. It’s out of character for him to get angryー Sylvain barely loses his temper, but he’s sick and tired of his friends sticking their noses into his love life every time. “I. Don’t. Have. A. Soulmate. And I _never will_. Now will you kindly leave me alone, dear Felix?” he ends off, snatching the pillow back from him.

Felix doesn’t so much as flinch, only glaring at him. “You’re a coward.”

Sylvain ignores him, already flopping back on to the bed so he can continue to tune out the rest of the world.

“Mercedes is a literal fucking angel, and you know I would never say that about anyone. You don’t know how lucky you are to have her as your soulmate.” Felix continues, not moving from his spot. Seems like Felix is seriously going to stay there the whole day. Sylvain continues to ignore him, counting the dust particles floating in the air. Maybe once Felix gets tired of watching him do absolutely nothing, he’ll leave.

“Look, Sylvain. I get it. All this time, all you’ve done is dated girls for fun. But now that you could have something, you’re afraid.”

Sylvain inhales sharply, recoiling from his words like he’s been burnt. Felix has hit the nail on the head. Is he really that easy to read?

It’s true. He is afraid. All this time he’s been dating multiple girls, Sylvain has never had to worry about it turning serious because he’s never felt anything for any of them. But now that he’s found his soulmate, who happens to be the one person he’s fallen for, he is terrified.

“It’s not… just that,” he says hesitantly.

“What? What else is there? The part where you think every woman only wants you for your Crest? _That_?” Felix answers simply, rolling his eyes. Sylvain flinches. “When did you become so wise and perceptive?”

Felix lifts a shoulder, choosing to ignore his question. “Look. I’m as bad as feelings as you are. But you’re being stupid. We both know Mercedes. She’s not like thatー give her a chance. Sothis, she’s your _soulmate_. And I’ve seen how you are around her, so don’t lie. I know you have feelings for her.”

Sylvain mulls over Felix’s words. Of course he knows. Mercedes is kind. Understanding. She spends time with him because she wants to, not because he has a Crest. She makes him feel alive.

“I don’t think I’m good enough for her,” is all he finally says, voice small. He feels like a child again, confessing his fears in the quiet of the room.

“That’s not for you to decide, isn’t it?” Felix fixes him with a sharp stare. “It’s up to her.”

Sylvain blinks. And then he laughs. Felix is being his own callous self, but he’s right.

It’s really as easy as that.

Felix glares at him, unimpressed. “What are you laughing at?” Sylvain just shakes his head, removing the pillow from his face as he sits up on the bed, crossing his legs. “Nothing. All this time I’ve always thought I was the wiser one between the two of us, but it seems I was wrong.” He places the pillow down, smoothing out the crinkles as he smiles. “Thanks, Fe.”

Felix looks embarrassed, as he always does when someone compliments him. “Whatever. Just couldn’t stand your moping,” he grumbles, turning to grasp the door handle. “I’m leaving.”

“You can still come to me when you have problems with Dimitri, though!” he calls out cheerily as Felix exits the room. He slams the door roughly in response as Sylvain chortles in laughter.

♡

Call him a coward, but it takes Sylvain almost a full week until he finally plucks up the courage to see her. When he finds her, she’s in the cathedral as usual, busking in the warm, glowing sunlight filtering in through the windows. The cathedral is deserted save for the two of them, the rest busy participating in the current festivities going on.

All at once, it’s like the moment when they first met. Where he was nervous, hesitant to make the first move. He has no idea what she’s thinking. Is she angry? Upset? Disappointed maybe, that he is her soulmate?

“Mercedes,” he says eventually. Standing behind her like this, he can see her shoulders tense when he speaks, but she doesn’t make a move to turn around. “Sylvain," she replies in acknowledgment, back still turned to him.

The silence between them is deafening, stretching out longer than it probably should. He realizes with sinking unease just how much of a dick move it was for him to completely disappear after finding out they are soulmates with absolutely no word for this long. It’s likely that he has hurt her more than he knows.

“I’m an asshole,” he blurts out, breaking the silence before he can stop himself. “I’m an idiot. I’m stupid, I break hearts, and I don’t believe in love. But somehow, Iー I’m in love with you.”

Sylvain half-expects Mercedes to just leave after that clumsy confession but instead, she turns, and there’s… shock on her face. He expected disgust, anger, maybe. Not the tears shining in her eyes. “You…?”

“I don’t believe in love.” He continues. “And certainly not soulmates. Or, that’s what I used to tell myself. I’ve had feelings for you for a long timeー I was just pretending not to. Clinging on to the idea that I could never be in love.”

Mercedes steps closer to him, silent. Letting him speak. Her hands wrap around his clenched fists, thumbs brushing against the knuckles gently. Sylvain shudders, the sheer tenderness of it catching him off guard. “Women don’t love me. They just want me for my Crest. They don’t care if I’m their soulmate or notー as long as they have me, that’s enough for them. That’s why I’ve never believed in the prospect of soulmates, or love. All those flings… They were all for fun. An empty distraction.”

“Because they never lead to something more.”

Sylvain nods. “I stopped believing in soulmates, after a while. I gave up on searching for youー my soulmate,” he whispers, a hand brushing tentatively against her cheek as if to ask if this is okay. She leans into his touch instinctively, one hand coming up to curl against his, entangling their fingers together.

“I thought you were disappointed,” Mercedes says quietly. “I’m not a noble or anything like those women you date.”

“You’re right, you’re not. They could never compare to you,” Sylvain says firmly, his free hand brushing aside soft strands of hair. Oh, how he has always yearned to touch her like this. She laughs, soft and gentle, tears slipping down her face now. “And how many people have heard _that_ line?”

“Genuinely? Only you.”

And then he leans in and kisses her.

Their noses bump awkwardly at first, and Mercedes giggles while Sylvain stews in embarrassment. Then he angles his face, kissing her properly. He’s kissed plenty of women, but nothing comes close to the feeling of kissing Mercedes. Her lips are as soft as he thought they would be, the kiss sweeter than any dessert he’s tasted. It’s like caressing the petals of a rose. Kissing her, it feels like his world has finally opened up, like he’s _complete_.

When their lips part, Sylvain leans his forehead against hers. They’re both silent, content in savoring the moment.

“I’m not a good person. Not good enough for you, anyway. I might hurt you or make you unhappy being with me. But I want to try, with you. My soulmate,” the words come out in a rush, clumsy but straight from his heart. Sylvain didn’t practice for this and it’s clearly showing.

“Oh, enough with the self-depreciationー I just want to be with you. You’ll always be enough for me," then she pauses, as if realizing something. “You’re never going to stop calling me your soulmate now, are you?”

“Never. _My soulmate_.” He speaks slowly, tasting the word, letting it roll off his tongue. Mercedes flushes at that, a rosy pink hue dusting her cheeks adorably as she laughs.

“And you, mine.”

And as they close the gap again, everything in the world is finally right.


End file.
